Solar cells are well known devices for converting solar radiation to electrical energy. A solar cell has a front side that faces the sun during normal operation to collect solar radiation and a backside opposite the front side. Solar radiation impinging on the solar cell creates electrical charges that may be harnessed to power an external electrical circuit, such as a load.
Solar cell fabrication processes typically include numerous steps involving masking, etching, deposition, diffusion, and other steps. Embodiments of the present invention provide solar cell processes with reduced number of steps for reduced fabrication cost and higher throughput.